Chapter 121: Chapter 114: Sword Sect Embodied, Grandly Entering Sword Intent, I Am the Sword Master

[Emperor Orange Fate Grid – Trapped Dragon in the Abyss, Refinement Level increased to 54%]

[Promoted Life Chart Traits – Hidden Qi (Middle Level)]

[Hidden Qi (Middle Level): Flood Dragon Walking on Water, Dragon Abyss Hidden Qi. You go utterly unseen. Obscures Celestial Secret and hides your Cultivation; no one can perceive your Destiny.]

Back in the Cold Palace, Lu Mingyuan sat on his bed, still recalling the terrifying power of the White-robed Celestial Master. A single Golden Talisman had been enough to lock down the entire surrounding space.

This White-robed Celestial Master was far stronger than even Yun Qinghe.

After a good while, he finally turned his attention to the ’Hidden Qi’ trait before him.

Originally, Hidden Qi only had the ability to hide his Cultivation. Now, it had gained the ability to obscure Celestial Secret.

’Unconsciously, it’s already past the halfway mark…’

He hadn’t seen his Trapped Dragon in the Abyss Fate Grid in a long time. Now, with the death of the Fourth Prince, it had increased by another ten percent, and a sense of urgency gripped Lu Mingyuan’s heart.

He didn’t know if his strength would be sufficient to walk out of the Cold Palace without having to answer to anyone on the day it reached one hundred percent. Logically, it should be.

’If one day, I can become as strong as that White-robed Celestial Master, I’ll surely have the power to protect myself. I’ll be able to fear no one within the Great Yan Imperial Palace. I just don’t know how long it will take to reach that day.’

’Maybe in a couple of years, Father Emperor will kick the bucket, and the Eighth Prince will ascend the throne.’

’Knowing that kid Lu Yunqing’s personality, would he risk universal condemnation and directly clear my name?’p>

’That’s still a possibility.’

’But nothing is set in stone. No matter how capable the Eighth Prince is right now, he’s not residing in the Eastern Palace. It’s too early to be thinking about this.’

“Let’s stop reading for today.”

Having lost his interest in studying Martial Arts for the moment, Lu Mingyuan interrupted Princess Consort Zhao’s reading.

Yang Yingchan showed a surprised expression, not having expected to finish so early today.

’Is the Sixth Prince letting me off, or has he taken pity on me?’

Lu Mingyuan smiled. “Rest assured, I’m not crude like my eldest brother. I dote on you, Sister-in-law, and can’t bear to see you upset in the slightest. It’s just that reading this material all the time is inevitably tedious, and I’ve grown tired of it. You could find some storybooks in private and learn how those storytellers narrate so vividly. It’s a skill, after all.”

“I remember there are many illustrated books among the common folk—the characters are lively, the content is suitable for all ages, and they sell like hotcakes. Could you perhaps get a few for us to read?”

If they were to read those books with… anatomical illustrations, Yang Yingchan felt she would simply die.

“Those books have no substance. They are for common folk. Your Highness is of noble status, why stoop to their level? I can prepare some stories to tell you instead.”

She spoke quite tactfully. Lu Mingyuan gave a light smile and didn’t press the matter.

“In that case, I will take my leave.”

“I’ll have to trouble you with the next letter as well, Your Highness.”

…

「On a summer morning, at the crack of dawn.」

Lu Mingyuan rose early and headed to the back mountain for his Saber Training.

His goal today was to cultivate his Saber Momentum to the point of Perfection and strive to comprehend Sword Intent.

[Sword Sect (Basic Level): Wind and Thunder Slash Martial Artist, Brahma Sun Slaying Primordial Spirit. Slightly increases Sword Dao aptitude. Saber Momentum and Sword Intent Cultivation efficiency is tripled.]

With the Sword Master Fate Grid, he shouldn’t let it go to waste. Possessing both the Martial Venerable and Sword Master Fate Grids had undoubtedly raised the upper limit of his Martial Dao by more than a single step.

Fortunately, Lu Mingyuan had a solid foundation. His extensive practice of basic Iaijutsu had allowed him to cultivate the Winter Thunder Saber Momentum. Coupled with Zhao Xuanwu’s Thunder Prison Saber Scripture, which he had practiced to the Saber Heart Chapter, he had even condensed his own Sword Form. All of this was highly compatible with his own intent, making his Cultivation feel smooth.

Now that he needed to comprehend Sword Intent, it should be a natural progression.

After striking with the Qilin Treasure Saber tens of thousands of times each day for half a year, he had thoroughly mastered the numerous key points of the technique. He felt he could perfectly integrate everything at any moment and take that crucial final step.

’To conceal is Yin; to erupt is Yang. The Thunder Momentum is Yin; the Blood Prison is Yang. As Yin and Yang cycle endlessly through Reincarnation, so too does the Saber Technique never cease.’

Lu Mingyuan continuously executed his Saber Technique, silently reciting the Dharma Gate of the Thunder Prison Saber Scripture in his mind. A low, rumbling sound, BOOM BOOM BOOM, echoed around his body like thunder, causing the blood-red Saber Astrals he generated to detonate one after another.

Thunder CRACKLED, striking the muddy ground erratically.

Lu Mingyuan’s five fingers caressed his saber. His Heart Spirit was immersed, achieving the Unity of Man and Blade.

[Diligently Training Saber for one Hour has triggered the Grandmaster trait. Progress for Thunder Prison Saber Scripture increased tenfold!]

[Comprehending Sword Intent has triggered the Sword Sect trait. Saber Momentum Cultivation speed increased threefold!]

[Thunder Prison Saber Scripture – Blade Heart Chapter (8900/10000)]

“Wind, Thunder, and Brahma Sun! My saber pierces the heavens!”

’As long as my strikes are fast enough! As long as they’re dense enough! I can slice through anything!’

’So close, just a little more!’

Lu Mingyuan had executed the Thunder Prison Blade Form so many times that the fusion of his physical strength and Primordial Qi, along with the shifting force of his Saber Technique, had become second nature. He was constantly chasing that feeling of ultimate Perfection. Within a ten-zhang domain, he could clearly perceive his own slightest imperfections.

’So close, just a little bit more.’

He pursued it with every single strike.

“Haaaah.”

Finally, with one particular strike, he at last achieved the sense of utmost Perfection he had been seeking.

That feeling of Perfection brought his muscles and bones into a mysterious harmony, causing them to erupt with several times their normal strength. The circulation of his Primordial Qi took on a wonderful rhythm, and the coordination between his Flesh Body and Primordial Qi instantly became perfect.

Both the Saber Momentum and the man had reached their absolute peak!

The speed of the thundering blade light suddenly skyrocketed.

The blade flashed, sending Gang Qi flying. It became a blur as it cut through the air before striking a massive cliff face. An incredibly deep ’BOOM’ exploded outward. Ball lightning even appeared at the point of impact, causing the air to twist and warp.

If this strike landed on a Supreme Grandmaster, even if their Flesh Body could withstand the blade and they were lucky enough to survive, the Thunder Prison Saber Momentum contained within the attack would be enough to liquefy their internal organs. It could even shatter the Acupoints of a newly-promoted Sea-Viewing Realm Martial Artist, leaving them severely wounded, if not dead.

Another eight or ten strikes would be enough to kill a newly-promoted Sea-Viewing Martial Artist.

But an opponent wasn’t an idiot; they wouldn’t just stand there and let you hack away. In reality, they would probably flee.

A peerless prodigy who had comprehended ’Sword Intent’ and mastered one of the world’s top Saber Techniques could kill an Eighth Realm Cultivator while only at the half-step Sea Viewing Realm.

For an ordinary Blade Cultivator to break through to the realm of Sword Intent, it depended first on talent, and second on grueling practice. Even someone with outstanding talent would need ten to twenty years. Only Middle Fifth Grade Cultivators were even qualified to attempt comprehending the “Realm of Intent.”

However, since he possessed the Sword Master Fate Grid, none of this was a problem for him.

“CLANG!”

“CLANG!”

The ceaseless ringing of the blade was enough to make one’s heart tremble. Each strike was a blur, the flash of the blade impossible to track, achieving both incredible speed and ferocity!

But Lu Mingyuan reveled in it.

For this reason, he didn’t return to the Cold Palace for two days and two nights, remaining at the cliff on the back mountain, Training Saber. Fortunately, he had told Zi Yun and Hong Wan beforehand not to look for him, as he needed a period of seclusion.

「Two days later.」

He lowered his head, only to see the earth beneath him was scorched black and radiated a rolling, oppressive pressure.

In that instant, a blade flashed as the Qilin Treasure Saber erupted from the earth, fusing with the Thunder Shocking Qi emanating from Lu Mingyuan’s body! As if sensing something, he gripped the hilt, and a vast Sword Intent burst forth, completely enveloping him.

The Sword Intent was terrifyingly immense. Lu Mingyuan’s qi and blood surged, and at the same time, the sound of thunder rumbled from his body!

Wind and thunder flickered, and his Saber Qi was like a dragon. The way Lu Mingyuan held his saber, he looked like a peerless Sword Master who had descended upon the world!

’Saber Momentum condenses into Sword Intent. The Sword Intent is real and substantial, visible to the naked eye.’

’So, this is the Thunder Prison Sword Intent.’ Lu Mingyuan gazed at the wisp of an illusory blade shadow that had appeared over his palm. It shimmered and twisted with faint red and blue colors, yet it was incomparably sharp, representing the two powers of “Thunder” and “Blood Prison.”

’The Sword Intent is formed.’

Lu Mingyuan checked his status panel and, just as he expected, saw that the Cultivation Technique section had changed.

[Deep Blue Destiny – Blade Master, Refinement Level increased to 20%]

[Thunder Prison Saber Scripture – Blade Intent Chapter (100/50000)]

’I did it. I actually did it.’

Lu Mingyuan’s numb fingers finally released the saber’s hilt. Even for someone like him, swinging a blade for two days and two nights straight had been mentally exhausting. He stood in silence for a moment before his face lit up with excitement.

The initial formation of his Sword Intent was exhilarating enough.

But his joy was short-lived. He looked down and discovered that the Qilin Treasure Saber on the ground had shattered into countless pieces. It clearly could no longer withstand his Sword Intent or channel the Power of the Thunder Prison.

Lu Mingyuan mused to himself, ’I need a better saber now. A weapon on the level of a Human World’s Heavy Artifact is no longer enough for me.’

He couldn’t help but recall his master’s words.

It was harder for a Swordsman who wielded a saber to find a world-class blade than for a Swordsman who wielded a straight-sword.

He wasn’t asking for a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasure nurtured in a Blessed Land Cave Heaven; a Spiritual Artifact of ordinary quality or higher would be enough.

“I knew you’d be here.”

Just then, a light laugh, as clear as a Yellow Oriole singing by a spring, reached Lu Mingyuan’s ears.

A woman in a cyan and crimson gown arrived on the back mountain, an astonishingly beautiful splash of color against the verdant forest.

“Mu Xue, what are you doing here?”

Seeing who it was, Lu Mingyuan’s expression brightened with joy.

He noticed the mahogany food box in her hand and seemed to understand.

’Evidently, Qi Muxue hadn’t seen him for two days, so she had come looking for him with a food box in hand.’

“Zi Yun said you often practice your martial arts on the back mountain, so I came to have a look.”

Qi Muxue smiled gently, a smile like a spring breeze in March, brushing against the strings of Lu Mingyuan’s heart.

It washed away much of the numb fatigue from the past two days.

“It’s time to go back.”

Lu Mingyuan said with a light laugh.

“Then let me help you back.”

Supporting Lu Mingyuan by the shoulder, Qi Muxue casually mentioned:

Qi Muxue gathered Literary Qi at her slender fingertips, forming a calligraphy brush with which she wrote four words: “Calm Heart and Concentrate Spirit.” Instantly, Lu Mingyuan felt his mind become much more vigorous.

Supporting Lu Mingyuan by the shoulder, Qi Muxue casually mentioned:

“There’s a war going on recently, did you know?”

“Where?”

“It just happened in the last two days. Prince Zhenbei sent troops against the Southern Realm of the Great Nether Sacred Country and won the first battle.”

…

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